Venetian blind tape holder



July 18, 1939. v H. KONEN 2,166,301

VENE'I'IAN BLIND TAPE HOLDER Filed Nov. 15, 1937 INVENTOR. BY Harry Kane/z ATTORNEY.

Patented July is, 1939 PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLIND TAPE HOLDER Harry Konen, Newport, 31., anlgnor to W. J. Baker (70., Inc., Newport, 1b., a co o! Kentucky Application November 15, 1931, Serial No. 114,628

2 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and more particularly to an improvement in the method of fastening the slat supporting side tapes to the supporting member or upper control 5 panel.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby the slat supporting side tapes may be quickly and easily attached to and detached from the control panel.

10 Another object of the invention is to provide attachment means of the character mentioned for Venetian blinds which require no tools or means such as screws or nails incident to such attachment or detachment.

15 Another object is to provide means for the indicated purposes, and which do not require any mechanical ability on the part of such persons as may be called on to detach the slats and tapes for cleaning or otherwise servicing such devices.

20 These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the following drawing in which: v

Fig. l is a fragmental elevational view showing a Venetian blind embodying the invention.

25 Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of parts shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of parts shown in Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 3 showing the left 30 tape in attached position and the right tape in a detached position.

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 show the successive steps followed in attaching or detaching the straps or tapes in accordance with the invention.

35 Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically, an adjustment feature of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a strap end and clip forming details of the invention.

It has been the custom, when installing Ve- 40 netian blinds to permanently anchor the slat supporting side tapes to the control panel by means of small nails, staples, screws or the like. Such blinds could only be removed for cleaning by removing the entire control structure to which 45 the tapes were permanently fastened. By reason of such practice, various other objections resulted. This invention is directed to avoidance of such objections and conditions.

As shown in Fig. 1, the Venetian blind Ill com- 50 prises a series of slats ll, ordinarily of wood,

which are individually suspended on fabric strips l2 (Fig. 2) which in turn are carried by pairs of straps or tape pieces l3 and H, attached to support member ll, all of which is old and well 5 known.

Inasmuch as the invention is concerned only with the means of attachment and detachment of the straps l3 and Il to the carrier or support member or panel I], the explanation will be limited accordingly. Member I! is in the nature of a wooden bar, in accordance with customary practice, and may have suitable connection with other parts of the blind, in accordance with general practice.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an ordinary staple 10 23, of U-shape form, and comprising a base or body portion 24 and spaced arms or legs 25 and 26 is secured to the bar II, for example by driving the free ends of the arms 25 and 26 into the bar. The staple extends lengthwise of the bar ll. The base or body of the staple is spaced a short distance from the bar, such distance being sufficient to permit passage of a clip 21 between the bar and the body of the staple. The staple arms are spaced at slightly greater distance than the width of the strap S3. The clip is slightly longer than the width of the strap and is also slightly longer than the body II of the staple. The clip may be U-shaped and may be attached to the end of a strap by clamping the strap end be-- tween the arms of the clip. A staple such as 23, is provided for each strap end that is to be attached to the bar H.

Each clip is attached to its strap in such manner that a small portion 28 of the clip extends 30 beyond each of the lateral edges 31 and 38 of the strap. By turning the clips at an angle relative to the staples, it is possible to move the clip and tape through the eye or pocket that is produced by the spacing of the staple from the bar. After a clip, together with an attached end of a strap is passed through such an eye, the clip may be moved to parallel position relative to the staple, thus bringing the free ends of the clip into contact with the arms of the staple for 40 anchoring the strap to the bar.

The general arrangement of parts as explained is capable of various refinements. For example, the bar ll may have longitudinally extending grooves or pockets 25 formed at the junction of the angularly disposed groove walls or faces such as 30 and 3t, and the staples may be positioned at such pockets or grooves. The staples may be attached to the bar at such angle, that when a clip and strap are anchored as shown in Fig. 2, the free ends of the clip contact the arms of the staple and the base of the U-shaped clip rests upon the face it at such position, that the clip as a whole extends substantially at right angles to the staple arms. In such relationship of the groove ",theclip 21 hasasnugiitbetweenthe staple and the face 8|, thus assuring even distribution over the strap, of strain incident weight of the suspended slats. By reason right angled position of the clip relative to the staple, the edges 4. and II of the clip arms 42 and 8 respectively contact the staple arms I! and 26 and thus avoid undue tension upon any portion of the connection between the clip and the end 44 of the strap II. By reason of the fact that the strap II is of a width slightly less tha'n the spacing of the arms 2' and it of the staple. the strap has a firm, even, unwrinkled contact upon the base 24 of the staple.

Due to the flexible nature of the strap, it is possible for the strap material to gather or compress suiilciently to permit the clip to be passed between a staple and the bar, at an angle to the staple base, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

A Venetian blind attached by the means herein disclosed may be shortened (Hg. 8) without necessitating cutting ofthe tapes by pulling an excess of tape material through the staple and winding the excess tape around the clip 21 whereby the tape length is shortened. The clip and tape wrapped around it are tightly held in place between edge ll of control panel l1 and the under side of tape It. A quick satisfactory method of tape shortening has been long sought after by the trade, and the method herein disclosed has been directed to meet this need. While the winding of the tape or strap is shown in Fig. 8 as having been accomplished by clockwise turning or revolving of the clip, it is obvious that the same general result is accomplished by turning or revolving the clip in the opposite direction. As shown in Fig. 8, contact of the rolled portion of the tape or strap by the overlying and depending portion of the strap precludes unwinding of the rolled up portion of the strap. If the tape,is rolled up by turning the clip in the opposite direction, the contact of the rolled up portion upon the face ll of the bar l1 accomplishes the same result. The relationship establishedbetween the clip ends and the staple likewise precludes unwinding of the rolled up portion of the tape.

While staples such as II are shown as integral U-shaped form, it is obvious that means for performing the holding function of the staples may be of other speciiic form that will cooperate with adjacent angular e tap s and pport bar in substantially the manner-in whichthe staples cooperate with such elements. l'brcxample,L-shapedmembers,ha iuonelegthereofthreadcdmaybeattached, in pairs, for accunpiishing the same results.

body I! of staple 28, shown in Hg. 4. The ends ofsuchotherlegsmaybein oontactormaybe spaced. If in contact'they would together appearexactlyasdoesthestapleflinl'lg4, except that a line of separation of the screws, wouldbedisposedmidwayofthesaidbodyfl. Iftheadiacentendsofsuchscrewsshouldbe spaced, the spacing may be made suiilcient to permit the strap to be threaded through such space for attaching and detaching the strap, instead of passing the clip 21 between the holding means and the bar l1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination of a bar having a longitudinally extending groove formed therein whereby to provide 1y disposed faces thereon, a U-shaped staple having a generally elongated base portion, mounted on the bar in said groove, with the staplebase in substantial parallelism with said adjacent faces and spaced from said bar, a flexible strap of a width slightly less than the length of the base of the staple, and a U- shaped clip mounted on an end of the strap, and being of a length greater than the length of the staple base, and of a thickness less than the space between the staple base and the bar, the arms of the clip receiving the strap end between them, said clip being held in contact upon one of the faces of the groove by a portion of the strap extending beyond the staple.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of an elongated bar having a longitudinally extending groove formed therein, the walls of said groove diverging at approximately a right angle, strap holding means mounted in and intersecting said groove and having a portion disposed in substantial parallelism with the walls of said groove, a flexible strap for insertion between the bar and the portion of the strap holding means parallel with the groove walls, and a clip secured to the end of the strap and adapted to be passed between the bar and the strap holding means and to contact the strap holding means for precluding separation of the strap and bar when assembled, said clip being held in contact upon one 'of the groove walls by a portion of the strap extending beyond the strap holding means whereby the clip and any portion of the strap wound or rolled about said clip are precluded from turning or unwinding.

HARRY KONEN. 

